Gratitude for the Appointment and Call to Service

My beloved brethren and sisters, if it were possible I would have you interpret my feelings this morning by looking into the depths of my soul, and thus save me the seeming impossibility of describing them to you. Needless to say I am overwhelmed. During the past few days I have had difficulty in keeping my thoughts and feelings under control. The light heart, the buoyancy of spirit that should accompany the high appointment that has come to me has been somewhat counter-balanced ¶

by a heaviness incident to the realization of the great responsibility that comes with the call to the First Presidency. ¶

I love President Heber J. Grant. He has been to me a true friend; more than that, since my father died I have felt free to go to President Grant for help and counsel as I would go to my own father. His nature is as open, as pure and clear as a faultless crystal — open, loyal, true. I esteem it indeed the highest compliment and privilege to have this expression of his confidence. With all my soul I pray for strength that I may not disappoint him, and that I may be true to the trust that he and my Heavenly Father have thus reposed in me. ¶

LOVE AND ADMIRATION FOR PRESIDENT CLARK ¶

I have known President Clark since my school days in the University of Utah. 1 admired him then. I considered him one of the choicest young men I had ever seen or had ever known. His ability was evident even to his schoolmates. He and the sweet girl who later became my sweetheart and wife, were graduated with their A. B. degrees on the same day. We have followed him in his work in Washington, we were thrilled when we learned of the responsibility that he carried there, and the trust which the members of the Senate of the United States placed upon him even before his name was generally known. I love him as a friend, and to be associated with him now in this high quorum, the highest in the Church, makes me feel very happy and thankful, but also very humble. ¶

LIVES CONSECRATED TO SERVICE ¶

And so if you could look into my soul you would see sincere gratitude and deep appreciation. You would find there also a regret that I am leaving the immediate association with the members of the Council of the Twelve. For twenty-eight and one-half years it has been my privilege to work side by side with these good and able men. President Clawson I love with all my soul. His worth and ability are not generally known. He is retiring, he is quiet in his labors, a perfect gentleman, genial, kind, and considerate. As the president of the Council he is prompt in attending to questions and problems referred to the group, as loyal and true in his testimony as the polar star, unwavering, undeviating in the discharging of duty and trust. It is not easy to disentwine my soul directly from his, my president. That entwinement is just as binding with the hearts of these brethren with whom I have worked daily, at times in committees, considering the welfare of the Church at large, and the welfare of individuals. I want to bear witness today that you may travel the world over, you may read your histories of men devoted to great undertakings, and noble problems, but you cannot find a group of men whose lives are more consecrated, whose desires are more noble in the interests, the happiness and peace of mankind, than are the lives and desires of these, my associates in the Council of the Twelve Apostles of this Church. ¶

You must live with them to know them. You must be in daily contact with the burdens they are carrying, with their concerns and anxieties for the youth, their willingness to go to the ends of the world at a moment's call if need be to establish better conditions, to make the world happier, more peaceful, more just, and bring about more amicable conditions and relationships in human society. And so it is not an easy task, I say, it is not without regret that I withdraw my membership in that Council. ¶

APPRECIATIVE OF TRUST ¶

I appreciate the trust you, my brethren and sisters, have manifested in me. It is a wonderful thing to be trusted. I said last night to the brethren of the Priesthood that I agree with him who says that to be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved. Love is the sweetest thing in the world, but to be trusted throws upon him who receives that trust an obligation that he must not fail to discharge. And so I pledge you here, my fellow workers in the First Presidency, you my brethren of the Priesthood, in whose company I have spent so many happy hours in Priesthood and auxiliary work, I pledge you, my brethren and sisters, to give my best in the service of God. ¶

I uphold before you this morning the President of this Church as God's representative, divinely appointed, and say to all Israel, stand by your chief. Let that spirit of unity and oneness for which our Lord and Savior prayed on the night of his betrayal, be characteristic of this his Church : Father, keep them one, as thou and I are one. ¶

' MAN DESTINED TO BE HAPPY ¶

I am happy when I know that my associates are happy. We cannot be happy if our loved ones are discouraged or ill. We are social beings and our lives are intricately woven one with another, and we progress as a body when individuals in the body progress. I have noted recently something which has given me concern. I have thought that I have detected in men and women who have called upon me and whom I have met in my travels just a little evidence of discouragement, and yet it is our right to be happy. It is the destiny of man to have joy, and I ask, during the few moments that I further stand before you that you direct your attention with me along some lines which may help us to keep that joy, notwithstanding the economic conditions and the failures that have brought about many moments of discouragement and sadness. ¶

DISTRESSFUL CONDITIONS ¶

Difficulties and sorrows have recently been dominant in our lives. The unprecedented crises in the financial world have dislodged men from their old moorings and set them adrift in confusion and in many cases despair. Land owners have seen their farms pass to others' hands, while they themselves distractedly seek new arid strange employment. Families have lost their homes with which are associated the tender memories of half a lifetime. Young men and young women recently graduated from ¶

college, eager to start out in a chosen vocation or a profession, find avenues that were formerly open and inviting now closed against them, and they seek advice and guidance, and sometimes we find difficulty in pointing out to them an encouraging road. ¶

To these and other distresses has been added the sorrow associated with, the passing of loved ones and to the Church the loss of great and able leaders. I had the privilege and honor through the kindness of President Ivins' family to express my feelings towards that great leader and I sense with you all that his passing means to this Church. ¶

SUNSHINE NEEDED ¶

But notwithstanding these conditions I feel like pleading with my brethren and sisters to set their faces firmly to the front and decide to enjoy the blessings with which our Father has blessed us. ¶

There are seeds of happiness planted in every human soul. Our mental attitude and disposition constitute the environment in which these seeds may germinate. There is as much need for sunshine in the heart as for sunshine in the world. Today as perhaps never before mankind needs encouragement and cheer. One writer says : "Not having enough sunshine is what ailed the world. Make people happy and there will not be half the quarreling nor a tenth part of the wickedness there is." ¶

It is a duty to seek to acquire the art of being cheerful — "A cheerful spirit is one of the most valuable gifts ever bestowed upon humanity by a kind Creator. It is the sweetest and most fragrant flower of the spirit that constantly sends out its beauty and fragrance and blesses everything within its reach." I think the writer goes to a little extreme. Cheerfulness is but one quality, but it is a wonderful strength in time of distress. ¶

THE PURPOSE OF WORLDLY POSSESSIONS ¶

If the experience of the past few years has taught us anything it has taught us that it is unwise to seek happiness in worldly possessions only. I say only because I do not minimize the value of material things of the world as contributing factors to man's peace, joy and contentment. The Lord himself has said that if we worship him with rejoicing and prayer, with glad hearts and cheerful countenances, the fulness of the earth is ours. ¶

In the Doctrine and Covenants he says plainly: ¶

The fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth; ¶

Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards; ¶

Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; ¶

Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul. ¶

And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither for extortion. ¶

However, to seek happiness or even contentment in the acquisition of these worldly things alone is to lose sight of the higher purpose of life. And that is one reason why there is discouragement and why there is despair generally in the world. The seeking of these material things has been the end, and now that they seem to be suddenly wiped away, men are distracted: ¶

A PROPER SENSE OF VALUES ¶

In "The Simple Life" by Charles Wagner, he writes upon this theme and says, referring to material things : "Let your needs rule you, pamper them — you will see them multiply like insects in the sun. The more you give them the more they demand. He is senseless who seeks for happiness in material prosperity alone." ¶

Recently I re-read an excellent book written by one of our educators, Dr. R. V. Chamberlain, as a tribute to his departed brother. It is a treatise on the philosophy of a good man's life. From it I quote the following : ¶

The world has progressed because of people who cared but little for material rewards, people who knew that mortal self-denial is the only path to self-realization. By sacrificing our ideals we do not throw ourselves away, but achieve the higher sides of ourselves. Civilization has come from the struggles of men and women in the past who risked all for ideals, for spiritual values that they might become the common possession of the race. We who see the path today are unworthy if we do not take up the burden. The race goes down when it loses its sense of values, and the success of democracy depends upon the people's living in the understanding of the spirit and the obligations of righteousness. In the world today men have not advanced their ideals with an intensity commensurate with economics and material expansion. Wisdom has not kept pace with learning, nor righteousness with power. ¶

So many people have lost the proper sense of values, and have sought peace and happiness in vain in the acquisition of wealth at the expense of spiritual growth. ¶

THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS ¶

Wherein then does the secret of happiness lie ? The Savior gives us the key to it when he says : "The kingdom of God is within you." The power is within man to choose the right or to choose the wrong. Happiness is not an external condition, it is a state of the spirit and attitude of the mind. ¶

It's no' in titles nor in the rank, It's no' in wealth like Lun'on bank, To purchase peace and rest. It's no' in makin' muckle mair, It's no' in books, it's no' in lear To make us truly blest, ¶

If happiness ha'e not her center i' the breast. We may be wise or rich or great, But never can be blest — ¶

Nae pleasures, nor treasures can make us happy lang, The heart aye's the part aye That makes us right or wrang. ¶

FUNDAMENTAL CONDITIONS ¶

Let us consider this morning four conditions in which we can always find happiness, conditions which are to the little seeds of joy in our souls what the ray of light and moisture are to the flowers and growing plants. ¶

First is Trust in God. To have faith that God is our Father is the safest anchorage of the soul and brings peace and solace under any condition; and the second is Confidence in Our Fellow Men. You note at once, of course, how these go back to those two great commandments : "Love the Lord with all thy might, mind, and strength, and thy neighbor as thyself." ¶

Now let us not consider these merely as orthodox principles. They are fundamental in our happiness and salvation here. I know that it is a little difficult today to keep confidence in certain groups of men. It is dreadfully discouraging to lose confidence in an associate. When we see and read about human jackals who are preying upon society, we find it hard sometimes to keep our poise and let the sunshine of confidence enter our souls, and yet I believe it is true that mankind generally are growing better. This I do know that often when we misjudge a brother and seem to lose confidence in him, if we will go to him and find his point of view our confidence will be restored. The poet was right when he said : ¶

Have you ever sat down and talked with men in a serious sort of way, ¶

Of their views of life, and pondered then on all they had to say? ¶

If not, you should, in some quiet hour; ¶

It's a glorious thing to do, ¶

For back of the wealth and back of the power ¶

Most men have a goal in view. ¶

Associate that thought with the fundamental teaching of our Lord and Master, who said: "If ye have aught against a brother, go to him." ¶

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS ¶

Brethren and sisters, with debts piled upon you, with difficulty to pay your taxes, with the loss of your home pending, if you would still be happy, look to yourself and count your blessings, and keep confidence in your God and in your fellow man. ¶

Another source of joy within your reach is the proper evaluation of blessings. You have your health. Next to life itself that is one of the greatest blessings that can come to you — the second blessing that we mortals are capable of receiving, a blessing that money cannot buy. If you have it, thank the Lord night and morning that he has given it to you. ¶

In addition to this he has given you ability to appreciate his glorious Gospel, the sunshine, the voice of nature speaking to you. Do you open your eyes and see it? I have rejoiced during this conference to hear the brethren acknowledge the blessing of our environment, the products of the field, scanty as they are, in some sections of the country, the flowers blooming, the sunsets, and above all the realization that we are living in ¶

ELDER DAVID 0. McKAY ¶

God's world and that he is the Creator of it. If you stop to think you still have the power and ability to appreciate and to enjoy things which no one, no depression can take from you. ¶

There is something else which we sometimes do not properly evaluate. That is our family. I know it hurts us if we see our loved ones hungry. As President Grant so impressively said, there is no need of any child being hungry in this Church. Let us thank God for the organization and say we will buckle to and make our contributions so that these conditions will be removed, and thank him for our loved ones, ours for time and all eternity. ¶

SOCIAL INTERCOURSE ¶

Finally, you have the opportunity for social intercourse, an ever present condition of happiness. If you affiliate with your quorum and other organizations, meeting regularly with your fellow men, you will know what that brotherhood is to which I have referred in my association with these brethren in the Council of the Twelve, a brotherhood which is eternal, a family relationship and social contact which will drive sorrow away under any conditions, and you have too the realization that even if death should come you have the assurance that death is now victorious but has been overcome in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Count these blessings. They are within the reach of every soul, no matter how humble or how great. ¶

Admire the goodness of Almighty God. ¶

He riches gave, He intellectual strength to few, ¶

Nor now commands to be nor rich nor learned, ¶

Nor promises reward of peace to these. ¶

On all he moral worth bestowed, ¶

And moral tribute asks from all, ¶

And who that could not pay ? ¶

Who born so poor of intellect, so mean ¶

Who born so poor as not to know what seemed the best, ¶

And unknowing might not do? ¶

And he who acted thus fulfilled the law eternal ¶

And its promises reaped in peace. ¶

That means that you know what is right. If you have lived true to that prompting of the Holy Spirit and continue to do so happiness will fill your soul. If you vary from it and become conscious you have fallen short of what you know is right, you are going to be unhappy if you have the wealth of the world. To do that is to "seek roses on the cheek of death," "grapes 'neath the icy pole," "substance in a world of fleeting shades." ¶

A GUIDE ¶

And so, brethren and sisters, what if we do have economic distress, universal almost? Let us ever keep in mind that life is largely what we make it, and that the Savior of men has marked clearly and plainly just how joy and peace may be obtained. It is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and adherence thereto. Do your duties no matter how humbly, and resolve even in the face of difficulties and discouragements to be : ¶

Like the man who faces what he must With step triumphant and a heart of cheer; Who fights the daily battle without fear; Sees his hopes fail, yet keeps unfaltering trust That God is God. ¶

Happy the people whose God is the Lord, says the Psalmist ¶

— that somehow, true and just ¶

His plans work out for mortals; not a tear ¶

Is shed when fortune, which the world holds dear, ¶

Falls from his grasp; better, with love, a crust ¶

Than living in dishonor; envies not, ¶

Nor loses faith in man; but does his best, ¶

Nor ever mourns over his humbler lot, ¶

But with a smile and words of hope, gives zest ¶

To every toiler ! he alone is great ¶

Who by a life heroic conquers fate. ¶

And the Holy Ghost, to which each one who has obeyed the first principles of the Gospel is entitled will give him or her that heroic soul and bring peace, peace even in the midst of disaster. ¶

May God bless us all with power to keep our post, to do our duty, and under all circumstances to be true to him and to each other, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶

The choir and congregation joined in singing the hymn, "Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah." ¶